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Over 75 Ways to use Leftover Egg Whites

I don’t know about you, but I always have leftover egg whites and get tired of the same ol‘ same ol‘ recipes. Plus, I never seem to remember how to store or how to freeze them.

Eggs Whites

Now and then I’ll wonder if it’s even worthwhile saving egg whites, but the only time it seems it’s not is when I can’t think of what to do with them except for the same, tired old ideas.

Well, I’m solving that, with a list of ideas that will have you hoping for leftover egg whites!

storing egg whites:

1. refrigerate:

If refrigerating egg whites, do so promptly in a clean container and cover tightly. They will keep up to 4 days.

2. freeze:

To freeze, label with the number of egg whites, date and freeze up to a year. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Egg whites may be frozen in clean ice-cube trays (for easier measuring) then placed in a Ziploc bag.

Frozen whites may not whip up as well as fresh; leaving at room temperature for 30 minutes before beating will help.

measuring:

Measurements for eggs are always approximate and may vary by egg size. This chart is for large eggs.

substituting whites for whole:

A quick rule of thumb when substituting egg whites for whole eggs:

For every egg, use two egg whites (1/4 cup). Substituting seems to work more successfully if one whole egg is left in the recipe. Just fyi, liquid eggs of any type use the same 1/4 cup measurement per egg.

This quiche crust was brushed with egg white.

basics:

1. clarify stock:

2. make things shiny:

Simply brush the pie crust or bread dough, before baking, with egg white beaten with a little water.

3. keep pie crust & bread bowls dry:

Brush your pie crust with egg white before filling and if you don’t want a bread bowl disintegrating on you, brush the inside with egg white and bake at about 325 degrees F. until dry, 7 minutes or so.

4. bind:

Use egg white as a binder for meatloaf, meatballs of any type of mixed up mash you want to stick together.

5. coffee:

Serious Eats, in my opinion, has it wrong. At least from this Midwesterner who lives in a primarily Scandinavian settled area: You use the egg white in coffee. And I’ve never heard it called church basement coffee, although I love the name.

breakfast & brunch:

I looked diligently for any egg white ideas I might have been missing, and site after site after site listed basic breakfast recipes – I know you won’t have trouble finding them! Here are a couple other ideas.

1. add to egg dishes:

The no-brainer: Just add egg whites to just about any egg dish you’re making. There’s a “rule of thumb” above under substitute. Think scrambled eggs, frittatas, quiches & other eggy dishes.

3. souffle oatmeal:

4. belgian waffle:

Dorrie Greenspan has a famous egg white Belgian Waffle recipe. It’s on my list of must tries.

The Pink Lady from Mix That Drink.

cocktails:

There’s hardly an end to the classic cocktails that use egg whites and there’s a whole gamut of new cocktails, too. Egg White Cocktails could be a whole page of their own!

1. safety:

See what they say about safety at the Genius Kitchen. Personally, I’d use pasteurized eggs or just heat the egg whites, whisking, in a double boiler until they reach 160 degrees. If your recipe has sugar, add it to the eggs before heating.

2. pisco sour:

One of the more famous classic cocktails is the Pisco Sour, the national drink of both Chile & Peru.

3. pink lady:

I wish I would have had one for Valentine’s day. Or maybe right now! Here’s the Pink Lady. The recipe and the photo, below, are from Mix That Drink.

4. paloma sour:

The Paloma Sour is a cocktail that I have never tried, but it looks marvelous for summer! This recipe is by 10th Kitchen.

5. ramona fizz:

Check out this marvelous cocktail, the Ramona Fizz, from the Art of Drink.

4. swiss meringue:

5. seven-minute frosting:

This yule log is a little backward, the cake is chocolate and it’s all wrapped up in a billowy Seven Minute Frosting. It’s so appropriate for our cold, snowy Christmas season.

6. royal icing:

Decorate cookies with a classic Royal Icing. Just find a recipe that keeps egg safety in mind. Royal Icing gives that classic, smooth and shiny surface.

7. chantilly meringue:

Chantilly meringue is Italian Meringue combined with whipping cream and makes an utterly delicious filling for creme puffs and other concoction. Here, Joanne, from the Art of Gluten Free Baking, turns it into an ice-cream.

8. meringue pie:

Seems like almost any pie these days can be covered with meringue. I guess it depends on how many eggs are used in the pie as to whether or not you’ll have leftovers…with so many “mile high” meringues, you may need another egg white or two.

9. marshmallows:

I’m sending you over to Alton Brown’s site for Homemade Marshmallows. They’re fun and a little messy but so soft and tender.

10. divinity:

Admittedly, I’ve never been a huge divinity fan; but my grandmother had many recipes. Maybe it’s time for a comeback. Here’s one from Paula Deen. Sometimes Divinity is colored with food dyes or jello.

11. kisses:

Are they meringues, cookies or candy? Well, little piped meringue kisses are all of the above. Recipes can be simple and plain, flavored, dipped or spiced. There’s no end to the fun. We tried these Peppermint Meringue Kisses from Martha Stewart over Christmas.

Chocolate Swirl Meringue Cookies

cookies & bars

There are so many cookies, bars & brownies that use egg whites only or that are combined with egg whites or meringue, I thought I’d list a few for inspiration and highlight a couple of recipes I think look fantastic and/or are little different than the norm.

1. meringue cookies:

2. mud & hen bars:

I would fall in love with Mud & Hen Bars just for the name, alone! These look so ooey, gooey good. Recipe by Crazy for Crust.

3. meringue brownies:

This recipe for Meringue Brownies has been on my must make list for quite awhile. Recipe from Delicious.

4. macarons:

Macarons are the cute little colored meringue cookies, flavored and sandwiched. And usually expensive to buy, dirt cheap to make…skill required!

5. macaroons:

My Grandmother made Macaroons. I was surprised at all the varieties made all over the world!

6. almond cookies:

There are so many almond cookies and almond paste cookies that use egg white, I wouldn’t know where to start! Well maybe with the classic Italian cookie, from David Lebovitz.

7. lemon sables:

Lemon Sables sound like a dream come true. Here’s a recipe from King Arthur Flour.

8. vanilla wafers:

Some recipes use eggs, others don’t. Here’s one recipe that might be fun to try. I can’t imagine how good a home-made Vanilla Wafer is!

9. mint milanos:

So if Vanilla Wafers sound good, why not another grocery store staple? Maybe these Mint Milanos by Baking a Moment.

10. fortune cookies:

The very American fortune cookie is made with egg whites! Here is a recipe that uses just one, from Taste of Home.

Meringue Nests

classic meringue desserts

I think Meringue is having a moment! There is no end of gorgeous Meringue Desserts. Just google, but here are a few classics!

You’ll find just about everything you need to know about meringues on the Incredible Edible Egg site (and several recipes on my site.) Frozen whites may not whip up as well as fresh; leaving at room temperature for 30 minutes before beating may help.

1. mont blanc:

The chestnut is becoming available again in the US. Mont Blanc is a classic recipe and I’m just thinking of a special occasion so I can make one!

2. meringue nests:

Meringue Nests are so much fun to make and eat and last just about forever in an airtight container! Fill them with almost anything!

3. eton mess:

Always a classic, the Eton Mess on my site is a healthier version, and it’s like leftovers times two! Leftover egg whites for the meringue, leftover meringues for the Eton mess.

4. pavlova:

Honestly, I thought I had a Pavlova on my site! Google up a recipe, you really can’t go wrong. Chocolate, Strawberry, or the classic with Kiwi!

5. baked alaska:

The absolute classic king of the meringue recipes has got to be Baked Alaska!

6. dacquoise:

Dacquoise is made with egg whites, meringue layered with mousse, Win Win! My friend Susanne, from a Pug in the Kitchen, recently made a Mocha Dacquoise.

7. floating islands:

I hesitate to name Floating Islands as a dessert, here. While it is a classic meringue dessert, it’s unlikely you’ll want to make it with leftover egg whites simply because it’s served on a bed of creme anglaise (custard sauce) that will use the yolks.

8. angel pie:

There are many varieties of Angel Pie. What they share in common is that they all start out with a meringue crust. I’m loving this Lemon Angel Pie from Your Home Based Mom.

9. schaum torte:

Very similar to a Pavlova, a Shuam Torte can be a simple nest of meringue filled with almost anything your heart desires or can be multiple layered affairs, refined or rustic. Sometimes they’re called Meringue Cakes when they’re a little fancier, like this Strawberry Meringue Cake from The Baking Pan.

10. le gateau russe:

Sometimes called Moroccan cake, this is the holy grail of meringue recipes, it’s shrouded in mystery and hard to find. Read about it on Celine’s Cuisine.

3. semifreddo:

4. fruit mousse:

So my grandmother used to call fruit mousse “whips.” I guess because they had to be whipped! Again, with Serious Eats for this Five Minute Fruit Mousse Dessert.

5. frozen

Frozen Strawberry Squares are a great example of a frozen dessert made with egg whites. There are all kinds of recipes, all kinds of flavors.

Meringue Kisses from Martha Stewart.The striping was difficult but there are many easy recipes.

sharing:

I know I’ve only scratched the surface with ways to use leftover egg whites! Do you have fave recipes you love to use up the whites? I’m always loving finding something out that’s new to me and would love it if you shared back!

Oh Mollie, you did it again.
I can’t wait to try the Chile rellanos….your recipe actually makes me think I can do it. I’m never going to want to go out for dinner again. Lol.
Thank you so much for this.
Joanne

Thanks for the ideas…. especially interested in clarifying stock (I forgot it was possible using this ingredient), and with your savory ideas. I have to admit having tried egg white omelets, I was not impressed. But again, thanks for so many good suggestions!

I feel the same way about the omelets, and it turned out to be surprisingly tough to think of and find savory ways to use egg whites! I’m sure there’s more but I played out my repertoire. I haven’t clarified stock with egg whites for oh, about 35 years or so and almost forgot about it myself. 🙂